Jacksonville Jaguars

Urban Meyer reportedly could add former Texas head coach Charlie Strong to his staff with the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports.

The Jaguars are reportedly finalizing a deal with Meyer to be the team's next head coach Thursday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network also noted the link between Strong and Meyer:

From NFL Now on @nflnetwork: Longtime college coach Charlie Strong is a name to watch for Urban Meyer’s staff with the #Jaguars. Meanwhile, the skeptics are already making their predictions on how this is going to go for Meyer in Jacksonville. pic.twitter.com/aZPJcbM6Mh

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 14, 2021

Strong spent this past season as a defensive analyst for Alabama as the team brought home a national championship. He was a head coach in college football for the previous 10 years with Louisville, Texas and South Florida.

The 60-year-old produced a 74-52 record in this span, winning 23 games in his final two seasons at Louisville, but he struggled to a 16-21 record at Texas and couldn't find much consistency at South Florida.

Prior to becoming a head coach, Strong had plenty of success working alongside Meyer as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Florida from 2005-09. The team won two national championships in this stretch while going 4-1 in bowl games.

Strong had been with the Gators before Meyer arrived, beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 1984. He spent time at several major programs before returning as Florida's defensive coordinator in 2003.

Though neither coach has any experience in the NFL, their lengthy college resumes could help lead to a smooth transition in Jacksonville.

There has been speculation Meyer would also take some coaches he worked with at Ohio State with him to the NFL, but Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch reported "there won't be a major raid" on staffers.

Urban Meyer is returning to the coaching ranks, but it won't be at the college level. 

On Thursday, the Jacksonville Jaguars announced they hired Meyer. It will be the 56-year-old's first time as an NFL head coach:

Statement from Urban Meyer: pic.twitter.com/nuMJc3ICn1

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 14, 2021

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Todd Archer reported Thursday that Scott Linehan "has emerged as a prime candidate" to serve as Meyer's offensive coordinator in Jacksonville. 

Meyer most recently coached at Ohio State, compiling an 83-9 record in seven years at the school. The Buckeyes were national champions in 2014 and claimed the Big Ten title on three occasions under his watch.

Meyer announced ahead of the 2019 Rose Bowl he was stepping down, with Ryan Day to succeed him. During his press conference, he said he was "fairly certain" he'd be leaving coaching for good, which left the door open slightly for a comeback.

Given his history, few will be surprised to see Meyer back on the sidelines.

Citing health reasons, he stepped down as Florida's head coach in December 2009, only to backtrack almost immediately and stay with the Gators through the 2010 season. He resigned for good in December 2010, telling reporters he wanted to spend more time with his family.

Meyer waited a little less than a year before taking his next gig, with Ohio State hiring him in November 2011.

Many wondered if the same situation would play out once again after Meyer took another extended hiatus from coaching. He might be able to better manage his workload as well, especially in the offseason since he won't have to hit the recruiting trail.

The Jaguars may have to address questions over the circumstances that preceded Meyer's decision to walk away from Ohio State.

He received a three-game suspension from Ohio State to start the 2018 season in connection to his handling of domestic abuse allegations against former assistant coach Zach Smith.

He told reporters at Big Ten media days in July 2018 that he had only recently been made aware of two incidents from 2015 involving Smith and his ex-wife. However, Courtney Smith shared evidence with Stadium's Brett McMurphy of conversations she had with Meyer's wife in 2015 detailing the alleged abuse.

Meyer released a statement, saying his previous comments were inaccurate and that he had reported the allegations to Ohio State officials in 2015:

pic.twitter.com/wrlRi9jtZz

— Urban Meyer (@CoachUrbanMeyer) August 3, 2018

Ohio State determined following an investigation that Meyer and athletic director Gene Smith didn't deliberately cover up the alleged abuse but "failed to take sufficient management action relating to Zach Smith's misconduct and retained an Assistant Coach who was not performing as an appropriate role model for OSU student-athletes," per ESPN's Dan Murphy.

Looking at Meyer's next stop, the track record of college coaches moving to the NFL is a mixed bag, and there appears to be no set of defined factors that would point to a coach's suitability for the jump.

Nick Saban is one of the greatest ever at the college level, but he flopped in two years with the Miami Dolphins. The same goes for Steve Spurrier, who resigned after his second season with Washington.

Tom Coughlin, Pete Carroll, Jim Harbaugh and Jimmy Johnson, however, all successfully made the transition from college to the pros.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Dec. 27 the Jaguars had become an attractive vacancy for head coaches and general managers because they were on track to get the No. 1 overall pick and win the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes.

Schefter also cited Jacksonville's haul of draft picks it accumulated from steadily trading away the best pieces from what was once the NFL's best defense, as well as a lot of projected salary-cap space heading into 2021.

The Miami Dolphins showed how quickly a team can go from tearing it all down to contending again. Rebuilding can be a drawn-out process in the NBA or MLB but doesn't have to be one in the NFL.

If Lawrence and Meyer are as good as advertised, the Jags could enjoy a big turnaround next season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly in "advanced talks" with former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer to fill their head coaching vacancy.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the update Thursday after the sides held another meeting Wednesday:

At this time, it’s Jacksonville as the one and only for Urban Meyer. Jaguars’ owner Shad Khan’s process has led him to Meyer, and Meyer is highly interested, and the two sides are interested in trying to finalize a deal this week. https://t.co/gDpE46pyuG

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2021

Michael Lombardi of The Athletic later reported the two sides are in agreement, but Schefter noted the deal is "not done yet."

Things have been trending toward Meyer landing with the Jags in recent weeks.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Jan. 3 the Jacksonville job was Meyer's "if he wants it" and noted the longtime collegiate coach, who's spent the past couple years as a football analyst for Fox Sports, had already started contacting potential hires for his staff.

After multiple meetings with Jaguars' leadership, led by owner Shad Khan, the 56-year-old Ohio native is intrigued by taking on an NFL coaching job for the first time, per Schefter.

Meyer compiled a 187-32 record (.854 winning percentage) across 17 years as a head coach at the college level with Ohio State, Florida, Utah and Bowling Green. He led the Gators to a pair of national championships (2006 and 2008) and also won a title at OSU (2014).

He retired from the Buckeyes in 2018 citing health concerns, and he told Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd in December (via Nick Kosko of 247Sports) that would be part of the decision-making process if he was trying to decide whether to make a return to coaching:

"To say I don't think about it, it's everyday. But it'd have to be the perfect, perfect situation and it'd have to be something that I was confident that the health issues I could overcome. Or at least prevent. So, I don't know. At this point, I think I'm done but I learned a long time ago...I left a job once where I planned on being there and then you get a call from a better opportunity. So, I think I'm done but I would never say, I'm never done."

Although the Jaguars are coming off a 1-15 season, they're in line to take Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, and they'll enter the offseason with a projected $77.3 million in available cap space, the most in the league.

It's a fresh slate that Meyer can mold to create a new culture in the coming years and, if Lawrence lives up to expectations, the Jags may trend toward title contention within just a few seasons.

Former Ohio State and Florida coach Urban Meyer is reportedly "close" to accepting the Jacksonville Jaguars' head coaching position.

According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, there are "rumors" floating that Meyer is leaning toward taking the job and retaining interim general manager Trent Baalke. The Jaguars' search is essentially at a standstill as they await Meyer's decision.

Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report Meyer has also been in contact with the Los Angeles Chargers about their head coaching job.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Jan. 5 that the team would interview San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and Atlanta Falcons interim head coach Raheem Morris. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the team also interviewed Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

The 56-year-old Meyer has never coached at the NFL level but is one of the most successful college coaches in history, as his .854 winning percentage (187-32) ranks third all-time. His runs at Florida and Ohio State took both programs back to national prominence and saw him win three national championships (two at Florida, one at Ohio State). The Ohio native's teams have finished in the Associated Press Top 10 nine times, and he had at least eight wins in each of his 17 years of collegiate coaching, which includes stops at Bowling Green and Utah.

While the history of college coaches who take the leap to the pros is littered with cautionary tales, several of Meyer's offensive philosophies have been making their way to the NFL in recent seasons. If anything, Meyer has been ahead of the curve schematically for his entire career and may see the NFL as the final test in his coaching legacy.

With Trevor Lawrence almost certainly headed to Jacksonville in April's draft, the Jags will hope that pairing the Clemson star with another college legend will turn around the woebegone franchise.

Urban Meyer to the Jacksonville Jaguars may not be a done deal just yet.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday that Meyer "hasn't been full steam ahead with regard to taking the Jaguars job."

From NFL Now on @nflnetwork: The #Jaguars are waiting on Urban Meyer, who seems like he's still trying to decide what he wants to do. Figure this comes to a head one way or another soon. pic.twitter.com/168QC9kV0h

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 12, 2021

Last Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Meyer had begun sounding out coaches who could join his staff in Jacksonville and that his final decision on the offer "is expected this week."

Stylistically, the 56-year-old is a great fit for the Jaguars. He has long remained on the cutting edge on offense and played to the strengths of his quarterbacks. Alex Smith, Tim Tebow and Dwayne Haskins Jr. were all first-round picks after playing for Meyer, and J.T. Barrett finished up at Ohio State in 2017 having broken a slew of school and Big Ten records.

Jacksonville has the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft, giving the franchise an opportunity to build its future around Clemson star Trevor Lawrence. Hiring a head coach who's a strong offensive mind makes sense.

However, some have raised questions over whether coaching in the NFL suits Meyer after health problems forced him to walk away from his posts at Florida and Ohio State.

Meyer has never lost more than five games in any of his 17 seasons as a college head coach. The Jaguars would probably consider an 11-5 mark a massive success in 2021 since they haven't won that many games in a single season since 2007.

Perhaps Meyer would put less pressure on himself since a team can still win a title despite losing six or even seven games in the regular season.

Still, The Athletic's Stewart Mandel argued that coaching the Jaguars may present a more difficult challenge than he'd be bargaining for:

"But the NFL is its own year-round grind, between months of draft prep, followed by free agency, then training camp, all leading into 16-plus weeks of endless film study and game-planning. With no 20-hour rule like college limiting the amount of time coaches can spend with players. ...

"Meyer has orchestrated quick turnarounds before, taking Bowling Green from 2-9 to 8-3 and Ohio State from 6-7 to 12-0, but building an NFL team can be a lot harder because there's less within the coach's control. He doesn't have the autonomy of a college coach to build the roster in his own vision. He can't woo potential free agents with cool social media graphics."

Should they strike out with Meyer, it's unclear whom the Jaguars would target as their next No. 1 option. Veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson reported Jan. 5 that Jacksonville was looking to interview Atlanta Falcons interim head coach Raheem Morris and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. 

Between Lawrence's imminent arrival and a bounty of salary-cap space, the Jags figure to be a highly sought-after post this offseason.

Amid rumors that the Jacksonville Jaguars favor former University of Florida and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer to be their next coach, Meyer reportedly met with Jags owner Shad Khan on Friday.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Meyer and Khan met on Khan's boat in Florida, although it wasn't the first time they have met recently, as the two sides have been in "regular communication."

Schefter added that Meyer has been assembling a potential coaching staff, including some assistants from the college ranks, in case he decides to take the job in Jacksonville.

After going 1-15 this season, the Jaguars parted ways with head coach Doug Marrone. While Marrone led Jacksonville to the AFC Championship Game in 2017, the Jaguars have gone just 12-36 since then.

The Jacksonville job may not be attractive under normal circumstances, but the Jags own the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, and it is widely expected that they will use it to take a generational talent in Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Given Meyer's success as a college head coach, it makes sense that the Jaguars would trust him to help develop a talented quarterback fresh out of college like Lawrence.

The 56-year-old Meyer spent 17 seasons has a collegiate head coach at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio State. During his tenure, he went 187-32 and won a grand total of three national championships.

Meyer retired after the 2018 season, but his name often comes up when mentioning high-profile jobs in college or the NFL.

Nothing has come of those types of rumblings yet, but the Jaguars job feels a bit different due to the allure of coaching Lawrence and coaching in a state in which he has experienced a great deal of success.

If the Jaguars truly want Meyer, Khan may have to reach deep in his pockets to provide him with a massive contract that isn't typical of most first-time NFL head coaches.

ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio reported this week that Meyer is seeking $12 million per year to coach in the NFL.

While Meyer is unproven at the NFL level, his college track record speaks for itself, and it stands to reason that Khan will give Meyer what he wants monetarily if it results in him accepting the job.

If the Jaguars are unable to convince Meyer, however, they have no shortage of other candidates, as they have as they have already interviewed or requested to interview Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Atlanta Falcons interim head coach Raheem Morris, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to hold an in-person interview with former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer on Friday to further discuss their head coaching vacancy, per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:

The #Jaguars plan to meet with Urban Meyer today to continue discussing the team’s head coaching vacancy, sources tell me and @RapSheet.

No deal is imminent and the team has at least one other interview scheduled. But an important step in the process.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 8, 2021

The #Jaguars and Urban Meyer have been in communication recently. But an in-person meeting can accelerate everything. https://t.co/HUq628WSt3

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 8, 2021

Although no deal is in place, the chatter around Meyer's potential hiring by the Jags has been growing steadily over the past week.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reported Sunday the Jacksonville job is Meyer's "if he wants it."

The 56-year-old Ohio native, who served as head coach at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida before landing at Ohio State, has been in contact with potential hires if he joins the Jaguars and would be given full control over filling the general manager vacancy, per Florio.

Meyer retired from the Buckeyes following the 2018 season, and he's spent the past two years as a college football analyst for Fox Sports.

He's never coached at the NFL level, but he posted a 187-32 record (.854 winning percentage), including a 12-3 mark in bowl games, with three national championships across 17 years as a college head coach.

In December, Meyer told Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd (via Nick Kosko of 247Sports) he'd need to find the perfect fit to come out of coaching retirement:

"To say I don't think about it, it's everyday. But it'd have to be the perfect, perfect situation and it'd have to be something that I was confident that the health issues I could overcome. Or at least prevent. So, I don't know. At this point, I think I'm done but I learned a long time ago...I left a job once where I planned on being there and then you get a call from a better opportunity. So, I think I'm done but I would never say, I'm never done."

Although a team coming off a 1-15 season wouldn't seem perfect on the surface, the Jaguars' turnaround is set to begin by drafting Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick in April.

Lawrence is regarded as a surefire franchise signal-caller. The opportunity to draft him, combined with control over the coaching staff and the chance to pick a GM to lead the front office, creates an intriguing option.

Meyer isn't the only coach on the Jags' radar despite the barrage of rumors, though.

Jacksonville has also interviewed or showcased interest in assistant coaches Eric Bienemy (Kansas City Chiefs), Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons), Robert Saleh (San Francisco 49ers), Arthur Smith (Tennessee Titans) and Brian Daboll (Buffalo Bills).

The team hasn't provided a timetable for a final decision.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will reportedly interview Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy for their vacant head coaching position, according to Josina Anderson.  

Bieniemy has been in high demand since the end of Week 17, with the Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets, Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons all expected to request interviews with the coach, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. 

The Jaguars are looking to fill the opening created after they fired head coach Doug Marrone on Monday following a 1-15 season.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Urban Meyer is the favorite to land the job, although the team is still looking at other candidates.

The Jaguars have also requested an interview with Atlanta Falcons interim coach Raheem Morris, per Anderson.

Bieniemy has established himself as a top candidate for several positions thanks to his work with the Chiefs over the past three seasons.

The 51-year-old stepped into the role in 2018 after spending the previous five years as a running backs coach. The offense immediately became the No. 1 scoring unit in the NFL, also leading the league in yards from scrimmage. A year later, the Chiefs won the Super Bowl behind one of the top offenses in football.

The Kansas City offense has been dangerous once again in 2020, leading the NFL in total yards on the way to a 14-2 record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

This production, along with a nine-year playing career, could help Bieniemy become a head coach for some team in 2021.

The Jaguars could have a long rebuilding process after three straight losing seasons but will at least be aided by the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have reportedly requested an interview with Raheem Morris for their head coaching vacancy, according to Josina Anderson.

Morris ended the 2020 season as the Atlanta Falcons' interim coach, going 4-7 over the final few months after taking over a squad that went 0-5 under Dan Quinn.

The 44-year-old also interviewed for the full-time job in Atlanta.

Morris said there was "no doubt" he wanted the Falcons job if offered, per Kelsey Conway of the team's official site.

Though the coach has spent the past six years with Atlanta, he could be an intriguing option for other teams because of his experience on both sides of the ball. He was the Falcons' defensive coordinator to begin 2020 and has spent time coaching defensive backs at multiple locations, but he has also worked as a receivers coach and passing game coordinator.

This comes in addition to his three years as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He finished with a 17-31 record.

The Jaguars could be a quality destination for Morris after the team fired Doug Marrone on Monday.

Even after a 1-15 season, Jacksonville could turn things around quickly with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft. The team also has plenty of draft capital and salary-cap space.

Urban Meyer, whose most recent coaching job was at Ohio State, seems to be the Jags' favorite candidate, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, but the team is clearly keeping its options open.   

Former Cleveland Browns general manager Ray Farmer will reportedly interview for the Jacksonville Jaguars' general manager opening.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the news. Farmer currently works as a scouting consultant with the Los Angeles Rams.

The Jaguars are looking for a replacement for Dave Caldwell, who they fired in November in his eighth season with the team. Owner Shad Khan said Monday he plans to have the final say over football decisions for the "immediate future."

"I kept the roster control and the candidates, the general manager candidates, I've been talking to them, that for the immediate future I'm going to keep the roster control. And I want the coach to know that also," Khan told reporters.

Khan has no football experience of note, and his desire to keep a heavy hand in roster decisions may turn off some of the stronger candidates for the GM job. There has been significant buzz about the Jaguars' interest in hiring former Ohio State and Florida coach Urban Meyer—and likely giving him strong sway over football moves—but Khan dismissed those rumors.

"Obviously, I've known Urban over the years through Big Ten and what have you. But we have not spoken to anyone about this job or even, obviously, interviewed him," he said.

Farmer was the Browns' general manager from 2014 to 2015, and the team went 10-22 under his stewardship. He was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season for sending texts to coaches during games in 2014, a violation of league policy.